Animals @ The Wayland

I was trying to think of an angle for this post but sometimes a place just speaks for itself. On the SE corner of 9th Street and Avenue C is The Wayland, probably my favorite bar in NYC right now. The Wayland manages that perfect balance of great drinks and a great time. No pretension, no reservation policy and no "seats only" policy. The music is top notch and the bartenders can sling you a beer and a shot or make you a fantastic Manhattan.

The Wayland also has great bar food. Sausage Bread and Ricotta, BLTs and Chicken Liver with Bacon are just some of drinks worthy offerings. When you walk in the place smells like bacon. Good times.

A few months back The Wayland expanded by taking over the pizza place next door. In addition to more room and a bigger kitchen the folks at The Wayland decided to do a lunch spot. The result is Animals.

"Sandwiches and beer" doesn't quite do the offerings at Animals justice. The sandwiches are some of the best in the city. Each one is well crafted and unique. A nice beer selection is available as well as cocktails, a great house made root beer and other non-alcoholic drinks. Every sandwich is a winner and the few sides available are excellent. Animals is a gem.

The Sandwiches:


The Beast -

Beef braised in red wine, aromatics & stone fruits with pickled onions and horseradish cream.



Pernil Romero -

Pork shoulder slow cooked in garlic, fennel & rosemary.


 Pulled Bacon (on the right) - 

Torta style, tomato, avocado, lettuce, pickled jalapenos, red slaw, refried baked beans and chili mayo.

(That is The Beast on the left)


Smoked Trout -

Applewood bacon, pickled onions, frisee lettuce & tomato


Other sandwiches include Chicken, Mortadella and Cauliflower. I do not have a favorite. They are all killer.



Sides:

Brussels Salad -

 Shredded Brussels Sprouts with green apple and lemon honey vinagrette.


Cucumbers -

Sliced cucumbers with pickled onions and spicy dressing.



Root Beer -

Animals takes the art of making a sandwich seriously. This is a boon to a neighborhood being overrun with Subway franchises. When your favorite bar becomes your favorite lunch spot you know things are going your way. 

Animals @ The Wayland - 700 East 9th Street - http://thewaylandnyc.com/

FUNK for the PEOPLE

I ran into one of my neighbors the other day. We have known each other from a distance for a longtime. He used to be in the music industry with me back in the day. In typical fashion we have gotten to know each other better not through the business but on the playground with our kids.

In our conversation he dropped that he has blog on tumblr. I asked what it is about. It turns out he has a 10,000+ strong vinyl Funk & Soul collection and he posts a rare track everyday. My interest was piqued.

The tumblr blog is called FUNK for the PEOPLE. It is fantastic. If you are a fan of Funk, and really, who isn't, you need check it out. Here is the link:

http://funksoul.tumblr.com/

Click it. Bookmark it. It is a tremendous collection of great, great music. Good luck finding any of this on Pandora or Spotify. Get Funky.